


time makes you bolder

by roseweasley394



Series: Moments Like These [16]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gryffindor Common Room, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Wizarding Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseweasley394/pseuds/roseweasley394
Summary: “I think I’ve figured out your problem.”“I don’t have a problem, Rose-” he protested only for her to cut him off again.“Oh, but you do!” She insisted. “You don’t want to be beaten by me again.”
Relationships: Scorpius Malfoy/Rose Weasley
Series: Moments Like These [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780003
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	time makes you bolder

* * *

“Scorpius!”

“Yes, Rose,” he replied wearily, twisting around in his chair to see her standing behind him, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. He knew what was coming and the thought alone already exhausted him.

“Care to play a round of chess with me?”

“You know that I can’t do that,” he sighed.

She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “And why is that?”

“I would love to, but this Potion’s essay isn’t going to write itself,” he said weakly.

“Come on, Scor! Just one game,” she started.

He groaned in frustration. “Rose-”

“I’ll even write your essay for you!”

“You’re horrid at potions, why would I let you do that?”

“I’ll sneak into the kitchens and get you treacle tart,” she pleaded.

“I really just want to go to sleep,” he tried unconvincingly.

“Sleep is for the weak.”

“I never claimed to be strong.”

Suddenly she gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth dramatically.

“What is it now,” he deadpanned.

“I think I’ve figured out your problem.”

“I don’t have a problem, Rose-” he protested only for her to cut him off again.

“Oh, but you do!” She insisted. “You don’t want to be beaten by me again.”

He sighed. “That’s not true.”

She laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the third years sitting across the common room from them. “Scared, Malfoy?”

Over the years, the rest of Gryffindor had learned to stay away from when Rose asked for a chess opponent because she would win, no questions asked. Being the daughter of Ron Weasley meant many things, most important being that she grew up learning to destroy anyone that came near her in the game.

But as of late, Scorpius had begun to take Rose up on her offers. Sixth year had just begun and he was trying desperately to forget about how she’d unintentionally rejected him just weeks ago. He had set out to avoid her this term in an attempt to get over her. But alas, that had lasted all an hour before she was chattering away in an empty compartment on September 1st.

He kicked himself every time he told her he’d play a match with her because it meant he would spend an hour basking in how wonderful she was, making her even harder to get over. But he found himself unable to say no. Whatever she asked of him, he would do. He was like putty in her hands and she didn’t even seem to notice.

He never failed to lose against her. And it wasn’t just because he was distracted by how beautiful she was. She was _really_ that good. But for some reason, today, he wanted to win. His sudden need for victory might have been the result of an awful day, but it was probably because he wanted to see what Rose would do. As far as he knew, she had never lost. And as much as he loved her, he did enjoy winding her up. So, he decided that if she was going to torture him daily just by existing, he should at least have the pleasure of crushing her winning streak.

“Alright,” he said after what felt like a lifetime. “I’ll play.”

She practically squealed with delight as she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the nearest chess board causing his chest to squeeze painfully.

“Remember not to cry too hard when I beat your sorry arse,” she said challengingly.

“We’ll see about that,” he grinned, deciding that he would do anything to make her smile like that.

As they sat across from each other studying the board as thoroughly as possible, Scorpius stopped himself from looking at the crease between Rose’s eyebrows that only formed when she was thinking really, really hard. He didn’t look at her fiery curls or her shockingly blue eyes. He stared strictly at the board and thought through every possible move before he made it.

Slowly, much to both his and her surprise, he started to win. His steady advance flustered Rose and she became so unhinged that she caught herself staring at the muscle jumping in Scorpius’s jaw every time he decided on a new move. She couldn’t help but look at his arms which she knew to be the most real things in the world. She saw the way his hair, which was a little longer than usual, curled just the slightest bit around his ear.

He was frustratingly distracting and for the first time in her life, Rose Weasley found herself unable to focus on a game of chess. She was so hopelessly enthralled with the way his lips turned up the slightest bit when he commanded any of his pieces to move that when he finally won, she was hardly even paying attention. In fact, Rose didn’t snap out of her trance until she heard Scorpius’s cry of victory as he ran laps around the perimeter of the common room while yelling that he, Scorpius Malfoy, had beat Rose Weasley in chess.

“Oh stop gloating,” she snapped, crossing her arms as she watched him end his fifth lap and stop directly in front of her.

“I beat you in chess, Rosie. I think that a little gloating is acceptable,” he said, grinning down at her.

“Don’t call me that,” she said, rolling her eyes at the nickname and trying desperately to act upset.

She wasn’t mad, not really. She brought the loss upon herself. If she hadn’t gotten so lost in his stormy eyes then she would have won. She knew that. Scorpius, on the other hand, wasn’t buying her facade.

“I expected you to be a little bit more upset at such a slaughtering defeat,” he said, sitting down next to her, his hand brushing against hers.

“It was hardly slaughtering, and I’m just a little bit off my game. Don’t expect it to happen again though,” she retorted, glaring at him while beginning to gather her things. It was getting late and they were alone with the exception of a few bleary-eyed third years playing a tired game of Gobstones.

“I don’t know, Rosie. I’d say you were pretty distracted, wouldn’t you say?” he asked, reaching over to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, yet another thing he’d gotten in the habit of.

Her ears had to have been flaming, not just because of his use of her nickname but of the way his fingers lingered just a few seconds longer than needed on the underside of her jaw. He hadn’t meant to do it, it was just an accident. At least that’s what she told herself.

“I wasn’t distracted, I’m just tired,” she huffed, refusing to meet his eye.

“Distracted, eh? I know a thing or two about being distracted,” he said, and she could feel his gaze on her.

“Oh you do, do you?” she asked, rolling her eyes.

Was he flirting with her? No. There was no way. That would have to mean that he liked her, and after the wedding, she was certain that he didn’t. She decided that he was just being charismatic. That didn’t stop her from staring at him dreamily, not noticing that he was doing the same thing. She knew she had to be as red as her hair, but she was so caught up in him in the way that at his hand was now covering hers that she didn’t care. She could have stayed like that all night, and she would’ve if someone across the room hadn’t started coughing loudly.

“Well then,” Rose croaked, clearing her throat awkwardly. “Maybe I won’t be so distracted tomorrow.”

“Whatever you say, Weasley. But I make no promises on my part. Your hair can be rather enticing.”

With a roll of her eyes and a deep breath, Rose reached up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek which was positively scorching.

“Now that I know your weakness, I don’t see anymore slaughtering defeats in the foreseeable future,” she whispered, smiling nervously.

As soon as her lips had brushed against his cheek he had been rendered speechless. So focused on the feeling of her lips against his skin, he hardly even noticed that she’d begun to head to her dormitory.

“Good night, Rose! Sleep well,” He called out, whipping around to watch her go.

She turned around and smiled. “Same to you, Scor.”

Scorpius went to bed that night thinking that maybe, _just maybe_ , his feelings for Rose were reciprocated. He’d been bolder; had touched her hand, messed with her hair, had actually beat her in chess. The last hour of his life felt like a blur, but as he fell into what was quite possibly the best sleep of his life, he dreamt of red hair, flushed cheeks, and the most stunning blue eyes he’d ever seen.


End file.
